Daily Archives: 17 Sep 2014

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17 Sep 2014

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Democracy, EDDC

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Please don’t take our external auditor away! Why? We like him and our CEO wants the same auditor at both councils where he works!

From the agenda of the next Audit and Governance Committee meeting taking place on 25 September 2014 at 2.30 pm at Knowle. You could not make this up – why would EDDC MEMBERS (councillors) complain that the auditor should not change because their CEO wants the same one in East Devon and South Somerset – how would they get that information and why would they think it was THEIR problem?

“The Council has been notified that the Audit Commission is intending to appoint KPMG LLP to audit the accounts of East Devon District Council from 2015/16 for two years. The appointment will start on 1 April 2015.

… Members were verbally updated of this situation at the last meeting and that the Audit Commission had a duty to consult local government bodies on the auditor appointment.

As requested by the Committee the Head of Finance did make contact with the Commission to determine the areas were a Council might consider an objection, however these did not really accord with members reasons for an objection, these being; the excellent relationship that had been formed particularly with Barrie Morris, acknowledgement of the help in improving the Council’s processes and practices and the link with South Somerset District Council who were to remain with Grant Thornton. In consultation with the Chief Executive and the Audit & Governance Chairman the Head of Finance did not make an objection to the change in auditor. ”

Source: http://eastdevon.gov.uk/250914_a_and_g_cttee_combined_agenda.pdf

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17 Sep 2014

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Austerity cuts, Axminster, Ottery St Mary, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Local hospital bed closures – consultation

Axminster and Ottery St Mary hospitals are set to lose all their beds and Sidmouth hospital will lose its minor injuries unit under the cost-cutting proposals.

12 weeks consultation on these plans start today.

Full Report here:

http://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/get-involved/community-services/101039

The East Devon section is here:

http://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/file/?rid=105273&download=true

Just one problem: none of the recommendations (which should also include doing nothing as a costed option) have ANY numbers attached to them. So, we don’t know what things cost now, we don’t know what the new recommendations will cost, so there is no idea what savings, if any, may be made.

But no doubt our District Council will come to our aid …..

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17 Sep 2014

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EDDC, Freedom of Information and EIA, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Skypark

Update on Knowle sale and Freedom of Information Tribunal

http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.com/2014/09/knowle-relocation-project-latest-news.html

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17 Sep 2014

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AONB, EDDC

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Can you help East Devon AONB find new offices?

Their office at the East Devon Business Centre (along with many more) is being demolished to pay for Skypark and will be replaced by a supermarket.

Says it all really.

http://www.eastdevonaonb.org.uk/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=397&cntnt01origid=15&cntnt01returnid=68

And they have to be out by the end of the year, though their notice period will be waived if necessary.

That’s nice of EDDC isn’t it.

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17 Sep 2014

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EDDC, Local Plan

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Eagerly awaited report on Five Year Land Supply..not quite yet

See Item 11 on the agenda of next week’s Audit and Governance Committee (Link to agenda given here: http://saveoursidmouth.com/2014/09/17/latest-on-eddcs-five-year-land-supply/)

The crucial importance of the Five Year Land Supply, and EDDC’s lack of a Local Plan which can not be drawn up without it, is explained here:  http://susiebond.wordpress.com/2014/09/16/the-local-plan-and-the-issue-of-appeal-successes/

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17 Sep 2014

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Affordable and Social Housing, Environment (local)

“Grand Designs” presenter says rent, don’t buy

… because oroperty in this country is too expensive and much of it is badly designed and built:

“He told The Times: ‘It’s not to do with the amount, it’s to do with the quality. We have to build houses that people want to live in within communities that work for them and we have to ask the existing community what they think will work because they have more local knowledge than just about anyone else.

‘Until in this country we get the spaces between the buildings right, then every single housing scheme will fail.”

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2758730/Rent-don-t-buy-urges-TV-host-Grand-Designs-presenter-Kevin-McCloud-says-renting-way-forward.html#ixzz3DYvWltjh
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2758730/Rent-don-t-buy-urges-TV-host-Grand-Designs-presenter-Kevin-McCloud-says-renting-way-forward.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

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17 Sep 2014

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Misc

Free winter car parking for town residents

Alas, not here in East Devon – only in Lyme Regis, where the council has announced that two of its main car parks will be free to residents between 1 November 2014 and 27 March 2015 between the hours of 9.30 – 4.30 pm.

To get their free parking permits, residents have to provide a current council tax bill and a car registration document showing the same address within the town’ss boundary.

Think of all those people who will now “pop to the shops” in Lyme Regis and all that Christmas shopping that will now be done locally.

Chances of this happening in East Devon? Where residents parking in Sidmouth has just gone up 330%? Pass.

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17 Sep 2014

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Austerity cuts, EDDC

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District councils object to centralisation of land charges – because “stakeholders” might suffer

Why? Well, because the computerisation might go wrong and “stakeholders” would worry about that? Who is/are these stakeholders: developers and the housing market!

http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19953%3Adistrict-councils-urge-minister-to-halt-centralisation-of-local-land-charge-registers&catid=58&Itemid=26

Now, bear in mind when reading the extract below, that East Devon District Council is currently going ahead with a project to merge its IT systems with those of Plymouth and hasn’t the slightest worry that anything may go wrong!

“Of particular concern to us is the impact upon the operation of the property market if there are problems with the IT system being developed to support the centralised local land charges register and the transfer of data from local authorities.”

Cllr Clarke insisted that the network was not seeking the minister’s intervention for reasons of self-interest because local authorities currently maintained local land charges registers.

Instead, he said, “it is because we believe the damage that could be caused to the operation of the housing market and thus to the national economy is so substantial should there be technical problems with an as yet untried and untested IT system that the risk is too great to be acceptable.

“The DCN believes it would be failing in its public duty if it did not draw to your personal attention the consequences that could arise if technical problems occur. If you are not persuaded that the proposals should be set aside then we would urge you to at least delay implementation until you are satisfied that all technical issues have been resolved such that there will be no adverse consequences for the smooth operation of the housing market.”

Should we be calling the Minister’s attention to the EDDC/Plymouth merger for the same reasons?